Automatic clothesline rack



Ma a 1924.

C. L. KUBISTA ET AL AUTOMATIC CLOTHESLINE RACK Filed Feb. 21. 1921 w M c2 ADW/PA f) Patented May 6, 1924.

UNITED STATES PATENY ease CHARLIE L'. KU'BISTA AND EARL H. SNOW, F SLEEPY EYE, .MINNESOTA; SM KU'BISTA.ASSIG1\TOR TO SAID SNOW. I I

AUTOMATIC CLOTHESLINE RACK.

Application filed February 21, 1921. Serial No. 446,726. I

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, CHARLIE L. KU-

BISTA and EARL H. SNOW, citizens of the United States, residing at Sleepy Eye, in the county of Brown and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Clothesline Racks; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such. as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to a clothes line holder and retainer and particularly to such a rack designed toretain the clothes line on a reel therein.

It is an object of this invention to provide a rack comprising a housing for protecting the clothes line and having means therein to automatically turn the reel to wind up the line and being also arranged so that the line can be drawn therefrom by simple pulling movement.

It is a further object of the invention to provide such a device from which any desired amount of line may be drawn, which device is provided with means for locking the line retainer in position with any amount of line drawn therefrom.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description made in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters refer to the same parts throughout the different views, and, in which,

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the device showing a portion of the line extending therefrom; to Fig. 2 is a central vertical section of the upper portion of the device;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged partial sectional view of the central upper portion of the device; and

Fig. 4 is a transverse section taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

Referring tothe drawings:

The device is seen to comprise an upright post or column 1 designed to be suitably supported in upright position in the ground a or some suitable base member. The memher 1 is hollow and at its upper end is provided with a portion extending at right angles at each side thereof, formed as a hollow casing 2, having closed ends 3 secured therein by means of screw threads or other suitable means. A shaft member 4 is journaled in the end members 3 and extends throughout the casing 2 and is supported at the center thereof in spaced brackets 5 upstanding from the sides of the member'l at the upper end thereof. The shaft 4 is shown as provided at one end with a knurledknob or operating member 6. Reel members 7 .are secured to the shaft 4 at each side of the member 1 and are provided at their inner ends with toothed ratchet wheels 8. A pawl member 9 of sufficient width to extend between and to engage both of the ratchet wheels 8 is piv- 7 oted at 10 to the inner side of the casing 2 and is provided with a curved operating rod 11 having a suitable head or knolb'upon the end thereof. The rod 11 projects throughout an aperture or slot in the house 7 ing 2, the headed end thereof being disposed outside of said housing. The housing or casing 2 is provided at one side with on opening 12 extending throughout the length thereof and member 13 is adapted 8 to fit into the said opening and is provided with flanges 13 extending at each side of the opening. to hold the same in position and to form a tight cover for the opening. A cable member 14 is secured to the shaft 5 4 intermediate the brackets 5 and is adapted to be coiled around this portion of the shaft and to have its end extending downwardly through the member '1, which end is secured to a suitable weight member 15 9o suspended in said member 1. The clothes lineused with the device is arranged in a plurality of strands, two of these being shown in the illustrated embodiment of the invention. These strands 16 have both of their ends secured to the reel members 7 at the opposite ends thereof and these strands 16 are arranged to be coiled on said reels. The strands 16 are drawn from the reels at their central portions, which portions are disposed over spaced pulleys 17 carried in pulley brackets secured to the inner side of member 13. The member 13 is also provided with spaced eyelet or hook members 18. r

The operation of the device is as follows: With the strands of rope arranged on the reels as shown and described, the weight 15 will descend and turn the shaft 4 and the reels 7 and Wind the strands of rope on the 110 reels until the member 13 is brought into engagement with the casing 2, as shown in Fig. 4. If it is now desired to use more or less of the line, the pawl 9 will be lifted from the ratchet wheels 8 by pushing in on the knob at the end of rod 11 and the pawl will now be held out of engagement with the ratchet teeth by the engagement of the small lug 11 with the inside of the casing 2. The line will now be drawn out and the reels turned by taking hold of the eyelets or rings 18, which can be secured to some suitable supporting member at a distance from the post 1. The line can now be tightened by releasing the pawl 9 and allow ing the same to come into engagement with the ratchet teeth, and operating wheel 6 to turn the reel and ratchet wheels in a counter clockwise direction. This will tighten the line and the same will be held in tightened or tensioned position by engagement of the pawl 9 with the ratchet teeth. hen it is desired to have the line re-wound in the reels, the rings 18 will merely be released and the weight member 15 will then wind up the line as above described. The pulleys 17 on the member 13 will act as equalizing members for the strands of rope 16, so that the various strands will be kept under uniform tension. With the line coiled on the reel and the member 13 in place as shown in Fig. l, the line and the operating mechanism of the rack will be entirely protected from the weather. lVhile the device is illustrated as being made of thin metal material, it will be understood that the same may be made of wood or any other material which is found suitable. The device will ordinarily be painted or provided with some weather resisting coating.

From the above description, it is seenthat applicants have provided a simple and efiicient clothes line or cable holder and rack and one which will have a wide range of utility.

It will, of course, be understood that various changes may be made in the form, details and proportions of the various parts without departing from the scope of the applicants invention, which generally stated consists in the matter shown and described and set forth in the appended claims.

That is claimed is:

l. A clothes line rack having in combination, a post member and casing extending across the top thereof, means in said casing for carrying strands of clothes line, a member for drawing said strands from said casing and means mounted thereon for slidably engaging said clothes line strands to form an equalizing means therefor.

2. A clothes line rack having in combination a post member, a cylindrical casing extending across the top of the same, reels journaled in said casing on which clothes lines are adapted to be wound, said casing having an opening extending longitudinally thereof, a curved plate adapted to be disposed in said opening, and equalizing means 'inounted on the interior of said plate on which the lines are supported.

3. A clothes line rack having in combination a hollow post and a cylindrical e a-sing extending across the top thereof,a shaft extending through the said casing and journaled therein, spaced reels mounted on said shaft on which the lines are adapted tolbe supported, ratchet wheels on ,the inner ends of said reels, a pawl member pivoted to said casing and adapted to engage both of said wheels, a cable member attached to said shaft at the central portion thereof and a weight member attached to said cable adapted to be suspended thereby in the hollow post. i i

l. A clothes line support comprising a reel to the opposite ends of whiclrthe two ends of a line are attached and a member extending longitudinally of said reel and normally disposed adjacent thereto carrying spaced pulleys forming an equalizing means over which the line is disposed said member being movable to draw the line from said reel. 7 5. A clothes line rack having in combination, a reel on which the :line'is wound, a cylindrical casing enclosing said reel and having a longitudinal opening therein, through which the line is adapted to pass and a closure member for said opening forming part of the cylinder wall having means mounted therein for slidably equalizing the line, and means on said closure member for drawing the same outwardly with the line and for supporting the said member with the line drawn out. I

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLIE L. KUBISTA. EARL H. SNOW.

Witnesses:

ALBERT HAUsER, LUELLA HA sEa. 

